Sessions & JRC Present Fundraiser For Stand With Asian Americans, June 13

Sessions takes great pride in continuing their partnership with Joy Ruckus Club, the largest Asian music festival in the world, and virtual events promoter 400 Dayze to present I Hate Being Hated, an important fundraiser to benefit Stand with Asian Americans and to raise hate crime awareness on Sunday, June 13, 2021 at 1PM PST via sessionslive.com/ihatebeinghated.

The event is free to stream, but audiences are encouraged to make donations of $35, $50, or $100 through the festival's merch store on Sessions. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Stand with Asian Americans, a powerful network of the most accomplished Asian Americans in business and technology with Asian Pacific Fund as their philanthropic partner.

Stand with Asian Americans is committed to stopping violence against the Asian community and inspiring a generation of Asian American activists to create a movement towards equity and justice for all. Their partner, the Asian Pacific Fund has been dedicated to supporting the Bay Area's most vulnerable Asian and Pacific Islanders for nearly 30 years. Amongst those who have aligned themselves with the Stand With Asian Americans campaign are Steve Chen, Co-Founder of YouTube; Tony Xu, CEO of DoorDash; Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo; Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet; Bobby Hundreds, Co-Founder of The Hundreds; Kai Huang, creator of Guitar Hero; George W. Bush, former President of the United States; Eric Yuan, CEO of Zoom; Jeremy Lin, professional basketball player; and many more.

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, there has been a steady increase in violence against Asian Americans who are incorrectly being blamed for the outbreak of the virus. Just last week, President Biden signed the Anti-Asian Hate Crime Bill with particular emphasis on the increase in violence against Asian Americans.

Among those performing are rapper, comedian and actor Tim Chantarangsu; LA-based international star and No Jumper affiliate DJ CAM GIRL; and in-demand Bronx rapper Maliibu Miitch, whose hits include "Give Her Some Money," and her cover of Lil' Kim's "Crush on You". Maliibu Miitch states,"I've always believed in standing for something or you'll fall for anything. Standin ur ground & stayin true to urself no matter what obstacles are in ur way." DJ CAM GIRL says, "Growing up, being Asian was not cool. I was called a chink, I was made fun of for bringing "smelly" food to lunch, I've had instances of people yelling "ching chong" at my mother and me out in public. This is not ok. Our Asian brothers and sisters being physically attacked on the streets is NOT OK. We will not be bystanders in this dire situation. I'm thankful that we as Asians now have the voice to make some noise for some seriously needed change. We must work together to #STOPAAPIHATE. This is our country too. Stop hating us." The lineup for this special event also features Ted Park x Parlay Pass, Afgan, Ian Chang, C-Tru (host + performer), V8Muzik (host + performer), Geoff Ong (host + performer), and Portland Taiko.

Speakers making video statements include several key influencers and organizations such as actor and director Tina Huang, director and writer Steve Nguyen, Instagram influencer Trisha V., YouTube star and storyteller Leonie Sii, Smith Cho, Sam Tsui, Lisa See, Subtle Asian Traits, Maria Ho, the Asian Pacific Fund, Unity Against Hate, and many more.

The steady increase in crime against Asian Americans has been reported in cities across the country and victims of the attacks include all ages and genders. Joy Ruckus Club and Sessions aim to raise both funds and awareness to combat anti-Asian hate.

Organizer Kublai Kwon says, "I Hate Being Hated" is many things. 'I Hate Being Hated' is a song with 14 Asian vocalists on it that will be released worldwide the Friday before the "I Hate Being Hated" event. The "I Hate Being Hated" event is an Asian-American awareness festival that will mix performances by top Asian artists such as Tim Chantarangsu, Ted Park, and Maliibu Miitch with statements by community leaders such as Subtle Asian Traits, KIWA, and Unity Against Hate. "I Hate Being Hated" is a mantra also, that Asian Americans will not tolerate anti-Asian hate crimes and that the Asian American community is strong to stand up to such discrimination. By fundraising for the Stand with Asian Americans campaign, "I Hate Being Hated" aims to make a significant contribution to the organization that is one of the most prominent current leaders in Asian American activism."

"We are honored to bring the power of live music to the Stand with Asian Americans movement," said Sessions co-Founder Tim Westergren. "This partnership with Joy Ruckus Club and 400 Dayze will bring music fans together from over 190 countries to celebrate the common language that unites us all."

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